Trine 2 is one of the best-looking XBLA games out there. The visuals really are a wonder to behold. Its gameplay is solid and fun by yourself or with friends; unfortunately, there are a handful of annoyances that hold Trine 2 back from true greatness.

Not only is The King of Fighters a solid 2D fighting game, but it is one of the best games in the series.

It's just more Dungeon Siege III, for better or worse.

Corpse Party proves that a minimalistic approach can get some of the best results when it comes to horror. If a little blood gets you weak in the knees, this game is not for you.

The War of the Worlds may not tell the most original story of the year, but it's a stylish action game full of exciting moments you won't soon forget. Sadly there are a few control issues and frustrating puzzles that hurt the overall pacing. However, even with these minor complaints, The War of the Worlds is a great adventure that is well worth your ten dollars!

Released a full year after the PC game, Bejeweled 3 makes for a solid Nintendo DS puzzler. With eight fleshed-out modes and achievement points, PopCap's newest game is easy to recommend for twenty dollars. Just don't go in expecting the Seattle-based company to have reinvented their popular puzzle game!

Die-hard fans only need apply for this package.

More a series of QTE cutscenes than an actual game, Jurassic Park: The Game is hopefully not a sign of where Telltale Games is heading in the future.

Overall, if you're a fan of the Ace Combat franchise, you'll probably like the game. Otherwise, you might want to rent or borrow it first.

The short length of the campaign and a few overly challenging puzzles are minor blemishes in an overall entertaining and worthwhile experience. Fans of the side-scrolling and platform genres need not look elsewhere, Trine 2 offers a wealth of truly innovative puzzles that are a welcome getaway from the current market of repeated genre titles.

BurgerTime: World Tour is certainly better than you might expect, even if it fails in several unfortunate ways. Poor presentation and collision detection aside, MonkeyPaw Games has a solid effort that does a good job at making this thirty year old game relevant for the 21st century.

Namco Bandai and Cyber Connect 2 are usually a winning combination with Naruto games. But with Ultimate Ninja Impact, it really feels like they phoned it in.

Like it or not, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the penultimate version of the game available. The gameplay has been refined, the roster is bigger and even more diverse than before, and everything else has been tightened and streamlined for online play. If you are a fan of the series, this is the version that you must own.

Hydrophobia Prophecy is the best version of the game released to date but that isn't really saying much. The game itself is an average platforming adventure that just happens to ride on the tails of an incredible liquid physics engine. Those physics stand out on their own, but when combined with the mediocrity of everything else, the entire package comes down to an average-at-best level.

A Lego game is a Lego game is a Lego game. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 has everything that makes a Lego game a Lego game, and exactly nothing else.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a suitable end to the Modern Warfare series, assuming this is as far as Infinity Ward takes the storyline. Every piece of the formula that has been used in the past game is here and accounted for and has been refined to a "T". As long as you don't expect anything more than what you are used to, you should be more than happy with the game.

While the game itself isn't bad so to speak, it does get repetitive kind of quickly. It's an interesting concept, and I am a huge fan of 16-bit games, especially RPGs, but the short length of the game and the repetitiveness of the battles is kind of a let down for me.

War in the North never quite manages to exceed in neither gameplay or presentation. Ultimately, lackluster environments and repetitive combat make for an experience that seems out of place in the world crafted by Tolkien. Even if Lord of the Rings precedes the title, War in the North does not live up to the level of quality set by previous franchise media.

GoldenEye steps up to the HD consoles, and while it's a bit prettier and has some more room to stretch its legs, it also feels like it's missing a few things, especially the pitch-perfect Wii controls. Regardless, it's still one of this generation's best shooters and Eurocom has done a bang-up job bringing it to the HD consols in such a short time.

Despite a few flaws, Sesame Street: Once upon a Monster provides parents a guilt-free reason to let their kids play video games. The game is geared toward children, yet the co-op makes it fun for parents to play along with them.

The experience is starting to get a little tiring, but there are still moments in the single player campaign that are pretty fun. The multiplayer can be loads of fun when you aren't getting frustrated from being owned a lot. Graphics haven't changed too much.

This buggy, unfinished mess of a castle-building sim should never have been released in its current state.

You have to be impressed with the final product that Yuke's and THQ. It's tough to start a game completely from scratch and build it up to what you want. While there are still some modifications that need to be made for future titles, the final product for wrestling fans is one that is worthy of main event status.

If you're a fan of Mahjong, this is worth checking out.

Skylanders is a fun game, and it does have it's challenging moments. Aside from Hektore pursuing you after getting a crystal and the ice world being a pain, I'm a little disappointed that there's no multiplayer in the 3DS version unless I'm really just missing it. Still, it is one I recommend if you like a good platformer. Just be prepared to spend some money if you plan to unlock everything.

The Missing Link is an extremely enjoyable addition tot he main game. The problem is that true fans will enjoy the ride but ultimately find their selves wishing it was more in hindsight. It's a lengthy and entertaining addition but once it is over and done with, you will find yourself craving a true advancement on the Human Revolution experience.

Sideway: New York is a refreshing take on one of the industry's oldest genres. Things can get frustrating (boss fights) and the music (unfortunately) gets really repetitive, but the overall gameplay experience is definitely one worth experiencing. It's just too bad that the cooperative gameplay isn't anywhere near as refined as the single player mode.

Edge of Time fails to deliver a satisfying experience in both areas of gameplay and presentation. The short duration of the campaign and lack of replay value result in a game that can hardly be recommended for a rental.

Simple mechanics, tough difficulty curve, lack of feedback and a sophisticated simulation make for a mixed bag. Recommended for those with an interest in global politics, strictly optional otherwise. A better game than the original, but also more expensive, so it comes out in the wash.

Train Simulator 2012 is good at what it does but unfortunately that will appeal to a very narrow audience. Diehard train enthusiasts will love the incredible details and depth of gameplay but it will be lost on everyone else. Hardcore hobbyists need only apply.

The Run takes the venerable franchise in a startling new direction while preserving all of the aspects that have made the series so successful. This one is definitely worth taking a look at.

Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi is an incredible looking game that is marred by one of the worst fighting engines I've ever seen.

inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood is an enjoyable adventure that fans of the will thoroughly enjoy. It is a tongue and cheek side-tale in an already entertaining world. If you love inFAMOUs, you will love this chapter as well.

With the sheer amount of included content and near flawless transition from PC to console, Tropico 4 is a highly recommended destination for an extended vacation.

It's the next level of multiplayer team warfare with an incredible engine powering it. Get a good PC and enjoy some of the best multiplayer action out there. The bugs can sometimes kick you out of the game. A ton of unlocks will have you playing a long time to get them all. The single player portion is pretty linear and not that interesting.

Part parody of open world sandbox games and part political satire, Saints Row: The Third is easily the craziest, most over-the-top action game of the year. The game is constantly throwing original ideas at you, all while you're unearthing a timely story about the government's overreaction to gang violence. The non-stop weirdness does get tiring at times, but that won't keep you from having a great time playing THQ's newest action game!

There is a substantial amount of content in Skyrim and while it's easy to nitpick on all the flaws present, Bethesda has still delivered a product that even a jaded gamer like myself can still be awestruck by.

Payday: the heist isn't without its problems but it is easily one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences out there. Just make sure that you have some buddies on your friend's list with the game because joining up with random people, or better yet not being able to, can really suck the fun out of it all.

Kalypso Media's Air Conflicts: Secret Wars offers an arcade-style single-player mode that will appeal to the casual air combat gamer and a multiplayer component that will offer a tougher challenge to the more serious player, but only if other players actually show up.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon continues the legacy of the series by giving fans of the series the new title that they've wanted. With a deep storyline included in the campaign and an online community that is quite strong upon launch, there is plenty of replay value with the title. Some issues with the gameplay do exist, but nothing that truly detracts from the game enough to not justify picking the game up.

Even with some control and difficulty issues, Uncharted 3 tells a fantastic story and has graphics and gameplay to match. You can do no wrong in picking up Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

Arkham City is not just one of the best games of the year, but also one of the greatest comic book games of all time!

An incredibly robust and enjoyable take on the tower defense genre. Tight controls, a plethora of options, and a general fun factor that keeps you coming back again, and again, and again. It is hard not to love this game.

If you want an early taste of Halloween (or late, depending on when you're reading this), and are looking for a new table to add to your collection, The Sorcerer's Lair is a solid choice. However, it's only one table, so you'll be on the prowl for new ones sooner rather than later.

To be honest, I slowly started liking this game the more I played it, but there are still a few nuances that irritate me, especially knowing that no matter how much or how little I practice, I'll still be able to unlock everything over time. If you're into off-road racing, you might want to give this a shot, but outside of that, it's not one I'd pick up unless there was a good deal on Steam.

A better package than Legacy, Mark of the Assassin has a great story to tell and is worth picking up if you're a fan of the Dragon Age franchise.

Resident Evil 4 is still an unsurpassed masterpiece on the 360, but the only reason you should still buy it is if you don't already own it on another console, or if you really want to see the game in HD. If you don't have it or have never played it, though, go get RE4 now--you owe it to yourself as a gamer.

In case you haven't heard: Resident Evil 4 is kind of a big deal. With its quick pacing, intriguing narrative and unbelievable graphics, this is one of Capcom's best games. This $20 PlayStation 3 port improves the visuals, adds leaderboard support and introduces trophies into the mix. Come see why Resident Evil 4 remains the best survival horror game ever made!

More work than fun, this dual-stick shooter soon becomes a repetitive and tedious chore. Only for die-hard completist 40K fanatics.

The single-player is a complete write-off, but the multi-player crowd will find a lot to like in Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad.

Elevator Action Deluxe doesn't break any new ground, but it is a loving homage to one of the earliest action games. Here you'll find fifty unique stages of platforming puzzles, tricky labyrinths and increasingly difficult enemies. Even if the visuals won't blow you away, the game retains the spark that made the 1983 arcade game so much fun!

Despite its flaws, Crysis is, hands down, the best FPS to hit the Xbox 360 since The Orange Box and its port of the complete Half-life 2 that came out in way back in 2004.

A surprise entry for one of my personal favorite games of 2011. Dungeon Defenders is a standout title that anyone who calls themselves a 'gamer' should own.

Thankfully short lived, X:Men: Destiny fails to capture the fun and excitement of the Marvel Universe.

The single player campaign finishes up the story nicely and there's a ton of replay value in mutiplayer mode. I'm in love with the new Beast mode and still thoroughly enjoy Horde mode with the new additions. Not much has changed up from the previous two games though in terms of gameplay and presentation, but it's still a fun game.

This is strictly a game for those who have run out of RTS games and have nothing to play until the Christmas games come out. There is probably ten bucks of gameplay in here, though.

Prepare to die! You might thing that Namco's newest role-playing game only exists to torment you. But look deeper and you'll discover that Dark Souls is one of the best adventure games in years. With an incredible amount epic boss battles, hundreds of hours of gameplay and a unique online interface, Dark Souls is one game you'll be thinking about for years to come!

White Knight Chronicles 2 maintains a lot of the problems that the first game had, and does little to address them. PS3 gamers are going to be left wanting in an already dry RPG landscape.

Burnout Crash is a proper multiplayer mode away from being most enjoyable downloadable title I've ever played.

Nuclear Dawn is a compelling combination of FPS and RTS elements that provide an unique experience among other online shooters. With an array of class customization and ability to control the battlefield as a commander, a trip to the war torn world of Nuclear Dawn is highly recommended.

The Into the Darkness expansion for Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is a must own for anyone who plays the base game. The additional decks, cards, and modes are all welcome additions to the game and only add to an already addictive base-game. The ability to play as the Archenemy in particular is something that is worth the price of admission alone although it makes you wonder why it wasn't the ability wasn't included in the base game back in June.

Rugby Challenge is a pleasant surprise in a crowded Fall release season. The game does a great job of both teaching players about the sport of Rugby and giving them a chance to virtually experience the hard-hitting action from the field. The polished presentation, excellent control mechanics, and robust amount of options create one of the best video game representations of a sport that I have seen.

Wasteland Angel should be steered clear of primarily for its lack of both value and innovative gameplay. With the game lasting at most about 3 to 4 hours depending on difficulty and endurance to achieve better scores, your money can be spent better elsewhere on titles with more content.

A good-looking, accessible, charming city-builder. Not much new here from Tropico 3, but lots of potential for Tropico 5.

Giving the pets the same depth and personality options as your regular Sims is a welcome addition, however I am not sure that it is enough to draw in any new fans to the franchise.

F1 2011 shows improvement over its predecessor of last year in both polish and fidelity to the Formula 1 traveling circus, but might be too complicated for the F1 novice. Watching a few actual races first would help the novice get up to speed.

With a non-existent storyline and fledgling gameplay that hinges solely on the run and gun mechanic, Bodycount simply is not anywhere on the level of a top tier FPS. Add in the fact that there is flat out no multiplayer to speak of and you have a game that was on life support before it even released.

Rochard is a breath of fresh air for the PlayStation Network and the gaming industry as a whole. It is an original ideal filled with great puzzles and an entertaining sense of humor.

While the game has a few flaws and I have some concerns with lost or broken toys and portals, I believe the game (with the help of an aggressive marketing campaign) will make this one of the hottest game/toy combinations this Holiday Season.

Guardian Heroes for the Xbox Live Arcade is a great addition to anyone's game library. The game still plays as well as I remember it 15 years ago and the improved visuals really bring it into the modern world. The revamped controls help to alleviate some of the aged gameplay mechanics but even those issues aside, the game still holds up surprisingly well.

Burnout Crash is a fun little arcade-style action game marred by repetitive gameplay and simplistic graphics. Fans of the series may be confused by the new look, but the traditional crash mode gameplay is front and center. Fans going in looking for a traditional Burnout experience will be sorely disappointed!

This DLC is for those who're dedicated to the Dragon Age brand and that's about it. This short addition does a little to flesh out the Hawke story, but doesn't have the impressive scale that some previous Bioware DLC had.

With the PSP entering its twilight phase, ClaDun x2 is one of the last great games for the system. Even with the Vita on the horizon don't let this one pass you by.

A solid romp through the Great Divide and some answers given from Ulysses makes this a DLC to get for Fallout: New Vegas players. Some bad bugs crept up and Ulysses can be a little bit annoying in the way he talks. The story was a little disappointing, but not too bad. A little short and a little linear for those that like to wander and want a lot to explore.

RAGE is easily one of the best games of 2011. The game is stunningly gorgeous, the gameplay is incredibly varied, and the entire experience is insanely addictive.

If you're looking for a high-fidelity racing sim, TrackMania isn't for you. If you're looking for a way to express yourself with custom-designed race tracks without having to invest months of effort, this is the game you're looking for!

Captain America: Super Soldier on the Wii isn't as bad as some people claim. While the combat is somewhat repetitive, the upgrades actually help you and the ability to counter attack is useful when surrounded. The graphics aren't anything special, but the gameplay somewhat makes up for it. This is probably one to rent first, but for $40, it's not that bad.

Mommy's Best Games successfully translates Serious Sam's gameplay into the second dimension with Serious Sam Double D. As a retro but faithful take on the classic series this game is a must-buy for Serious Sam fans, and at only $8 it's a great deal for anyone looking for a solid old-school action game.

Dead Island is a mixed bag. While the game is filled with debilitating bugs and frustrating glitches, its addicting gameplay and immersive world keeps you coming back again and again despite those flaws. If given the proper post-release support from the developers, this game could easily be an A+ title and be in contention to be considered one of the best games of the year.

Some may frown at the lack paltry selection of race tracks, but they'll have a blast playing through the game's lengthy campaign mode!

If you can get past the game's clunkiness, you'll be in for a fun (but not mind-blowing) adventure!

Disgaea 4 is everything a Disgaea fan could want, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that it's an enjoyable game, a curse in that you probably won't finish it until after the holiday season.

If you're a fan of classic Castlevania games and are looking for a good (but fair) challenge, look no further than BloodRayne: Betrayal.

Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a refreshingly simple, straight forward and fun shooter.

While there's nothing wrong with Crimson Alliance form a technical standpoint, it's a shame that a game with this much hack and slash action is so boring. The lackluster presentations, repetitive gameplay and generic story don't help anything. You're better off buying one of the better Diablo-clones currently available on the Xbox 360!

For a throwback FPS, it's not too bad and it's priced at $30. The graphics are pretty well done, but there are some aspects of the game that can get pretty frustrating. Expect to die a lot as well since your health doesn't regenerate, but your shield does.

Fans of Resident Evil games will probably want to give this one a shot. Not perfect by any means, but still a fun one.

If you're a fan of baseball, I highly recommend you check it out.

Mortal Kombat: Arcade Kollection isn't exactly the comprehensive compilation that some fans were hoping for, but it does a good job of presenting three solid fighting games for a cheap price. Unfortunately the game is marred by poor online functionality and no extras to speak of. Still, fans of the series will find enough content to warrant the ten dollar asking price!

Street Fighter III Third Strike: Online Edition is probably exactly what a fan of the franchise would look for in a remake of a PS2 era arcade fighter, and as such, should be a thrill for old school Street Fighter fans. Unfortunately for the rest of us, n00bs need not apply.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is a hodgepodge of bad ideas and performance issues. Even if you can get past the technical problems, this heavy-handed action game never quite lives up to its potential. If you have a couple friends to play with you might get some fun out of it, everybody else might want to look elsewhere for their first-person fix!

This is an end-of-life expansion for the HOI3 franchise. It adds some (minor) new features to the original, but does not do much to fix any major flaws. It is not worth 20 bucks to anybody but an HOI3 completist.

There are still a couple of features that need to be tweaked, such as recruiting, but with the addition of custom playbooks, the coaching carousel, conference realignments, and a fully revamped Road to Glory mode, NCAA Football has shown great strides in the last couple of titles, and NCAA Football 12 is the result of a development team putting in some hard work to make the fans happy.

Laughing Jackal has raised the bar for PSP Mini developers. OMG-Z is a simple masterpiece, the kind of game that sticks with you long after the ending cinema. Part action game and part puzzler, OMG-Z is one of the best games I've played this year!

Part Marble Madness, part Rampart and all Monty Python. Rock of Ages delivers a unique blend of real-time strategy and platforming, making this one of the most intriguing games of the year. Best of all, the game's many cinemas are worth the price of admission all by themselves!

Zen Studios really outdid themselves with their Captain America table. It combines the best elements of the early comics with not-so-subtle shout-outs to the new movie, and it's one of their better overall tables as well.

Rockford is back and ready to collect more diamonds than ever. With an emphasis on unique modes, this updated classic is dressed to impress. Boulder Dash-XL has enough original content to bring in a whole new generation of spelunkers. This is one cave worth exploring!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an incredible gaming experience. Whe game isn't the "best" in terms of any one of its individual traits, it is really good at all of them... resulting in one of the best games of our generation. Though it is unlikely that its accolades and status will ever eclipse that of the original Deus Ex, it definitely stands as a worthy successor in the series.